Amid the attention and applause of relatives, professors, and fellow students around them, the Champions rose one after another and followed Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch Sr. out of the Great Hall.
They paused briefly in the Entrance Hall. Barty Crouch Sr. glanced at Ludo Bagman. "Mr. Bagman..."
"Understood!" Ludo Bagman untied the velvet pouch and took out palm-sized metal plaques, handing one to each Champion. "Just put it in your pocket."
Barty Crouch Sr. said, "This is magical protection provided by Durmstrang, intended solely to ensure your safety."
"Following Mr. Lovegood's suggestion, we have provided a corresponding list of Dark Magic. I trust you have already received letters from the Ministry of Magic."
Seeing the Champions nod, he continued, "There is one point you must pay particular attention to: the magic protecting these plaques will only activate when your life is in danger."
"I hope every Champion will give it their all, display the magic they excel at as much as possible, and bring honor to their school."
Quite a few Champions lowered their heads to glance at their metal plaques. They understood what Barty Crouch Sr. meant: they were not to take any chances.
Once the plaques had been distributed, the group left Hogwarts Castle and headed toward the Quidditch Pitch at the other end.
Along the way, Barty Crouch Sr. explained the rules of the third task once more.
"Please remember, Champions, you may only bring your wands into the maze. It contains all manner of traps and magical creatures."
"Your scores will determine the order in which you enter the maze. The Champion team with the highest score will enter first, followed by the others in order at five-minute intervals."
"You will face a maze with seven progressively more difficult levels. There are eight entrances in